Malicious Code Injection in continued_antelope_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93773: Malicious code in continued_antelope_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The continued_antelope_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is compromised by malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the presence of malicious code within the continued_antelope_z3n package. This code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names, which leads to the continuous republishing of variants. This behavior pollutes the npm registry and can severely impact developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently. The malicious payload is part of a broader scheme that exploits the npm ecosystem for token rewards.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall continued_antelope_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can prevent the package from executing its malicious scripts by using the npm audit command to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project. Additionally, consider using a package-lock.json file to lock down your dependencies and prevent the installation of compromised packages.
Conclusion
The continued_antelope_z3n package contains malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the npm ecosystem. Immediate action is required to remove the package and mitigate its effects. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and manage vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
The continued_antelope_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and generates random package names, which can lead to reputation inflation and pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the continued_antelope_z3n package immediately and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
